TF2 F2P: Team Fortress 2 Goes Free-to-Play
TF2 F2P: Team Fortress 2 Goes Free-to-Play
Posted 06/23/2011 at 9:51pm
| by Nathan Grayson
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In the future, we're all going to sit in our rocking chairs and enthrall our grandchildren with tales of a time when videogames cost money. They'll then reply with a dismissive “Oh grandpa, you so crazy” before sauntering off to spend $400 on in-game hats. And everyone will have jetpacks. Where were we going with this? Oh, right: Team Fortress 2 is kicking its price tag to the curb and joining the free-to-play club.
“We've been toying with the idea of making Team Fortress free-to-play ever since the Mann-conomy update [in September 2010],” Valve's Robin Walker told Develop. “The data we got back from that update leads us to believe that TF2 would be more successful as a completely free product.”
Free-to-play, however, can be a double-edged sword. Charge for the wrong item or turn cold, hard cash into an adequate substitute for hot lead, and you could be staring down the barrel of a pissed-off playerbase. Fortunately, Valve is well aware of that and doesn't plan on turning free players into second-class citizens.
“Right now we’re only planning on using the items you can purchase from the in-game store,” Walker explained, noting that TF2's steady stream of free updates will continue on unabated. “Our goal first and foremost is for players to enjoy the game, and we think finding items, and getting to experience new gameplay through them, is one of the things that's really fun in the game. Removing that seems counter-productive.”
“Purchasing something is a step that we hope players take after they've decided they like the game, not something they should have to do while they're still evaluating it.”
Valve's not pulling any of its usual “when it's done” shenanigans here, either. TF2's price tag is already nowhere to be found. Better still, the game's smack dab in the middle of its stupendously colossal “Uber Update,” which – if you were to examine it under a microscope – would be made up of millions of tiny kitchen sinks. So then, if you've somehow avoided one of PC gaming's biggest phenomena for the past four years, you now have no excuse. Unless you just have really terrible taste. Then you have an excuse – just, you know, a bad one.
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it5ju5talx
July 12, 2011 at 5:01pm
I used to play TFC all the time but have not yet tried TF2. Once I get a PC (I currently have a mac that I use for work) I will be going on this adventure.
kevin32
June 25, 2011 at 1:22pm
For those who bought TF2 before it became free, check this out:
http://www.cafepress.com/stupidhats
Mighty BOB!
June 24, 2011 at 6:17pm
I haven't played TF2 in over a year. Got it back when the Orange Box came out and racked up a few hundred hours of play time. I got bored when it took several months to release class updates one at a time. I know it takes time to get those right, but still. Then that Mann-conomy came out and tbqh I hate the random drops. I am, however, glad that they decided to keep weapon unlocks as achievements in addition to the drops. It feels better to earn that unlock than to have it randomly handed to you.
In any case though, I dunno if I like this. I miss the glory days and feel that the game may not be heading in the right direction.
DRAGONWEEZEL
June 24, 2011 at 10:21am
How could you not mention the PCGamer/MPC experience?
Playing on the MPC server is AWESOME when you guys are on... {Though C:\ Older than dos doesn't clanstack... :)}
Ghok
June 24, 2011 at 8:56am
I used to be a big Team Fortress Classic player, but never played TF2 much. I don't like the voice chat. I know I'm in a minority here, but I play games to get AWAY from people. I multiplayer with a few friends, but I don't have enough to form two TF teams. Too bad there aren't any bots in the game, but I don't blame Valve, as with all those different classes and goals I'd imagine they'd be a lot more complicated to program than say, the bots in Left 4 Dead.
Now that it's free, maybe it'd be easier to get people I know to play it, though.
DRAGONWEEZEL
June 24, 2011 at 10:15am
Seriously, chat is why you don't play TF2? You're missing one of the greatest game phenomenons of the decade because of "Chatty bitches?" http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/1999/11/19
WOW.
silverblack
June 24, 2011 at 1:08pm
It's why I stopped playing. I like to take support roles, every team needs them, but it takes time to learn a new class. I had a teammate pissed at me for the way I was playing (one of two engineers), we were winning at the time just couldn't capture the last check point. When you take the game too seriously, it's not fun for you or for me. Of course, by the time I went back I was out of practice again.
Ghok
June 24, 2011 at 12:37pm
Yeah, that's a large part of it. I'm well aware of how good a game it is, I was a huge Team Fortress Classic player. There are a lot of good games out there and so I'm more drawn to the ones that don't require me to interact greatly with other people.
The comic you linked to appears to be over ten years old, and is about people typing. That's not what I'm talking about.
I know there are few people who share my opinion, but there it is.
DRAGONWEEZEL
June 28, 2011 at 1:18pm
So no WoW either eh? What games do you play? I like a good single player game about 2x a year. i.e. Batman AA, Mass Effect, BioShock, etc.
There are plenty of servers where people don't talk much, and some where they don't shut up, but it's usually not the "I PWND JOO" bs... it's either strat or just talking amoung friends. Now HALO on the other hand...
The comic was for the obligatory PA reference to chatty bitches though it was before voicechat really took off, same thing though.
Atomike
June 24, 2011 at 8:07am
I have nothing further to add to the topic, but I wanted to comment on how well the article itself is written - in particular, the first paragraph is brilliant. It ties in clever humor, with a clear grasp of the subject. When writing is bad, I don't hesitate to comment - and so I must, in fairness, give big props to Nathan on this gem. Good stuff.
TerribleToaster
June 24, 2011 at 8:52am
I was waiting for something this like before I would get TF2.
Patience is a virtue and Foresight is a gift. :D
DRAGONWEEZEL
June 24, 2011 at 10:18am
it's what? like 5.99 as it was?
Now you have to learn all the classes and will be shredded by my minigun, burned by my vintage backburner, and end up all wet when I apply Jarate 8')
JoetheMobster
June 24, 2011 at 6:14am
I think it sucks! Well, i think it sucks that Valve didn't plan on the load of people coming. I go to play last night and kept getting an error saying that the valve servers are too busy, come back later. WTF?!
damicatz
June 24, 2011 at 5:48am
This seems like a terrible idea. Now, if someone is VAC banned, all they have to do is create a new Steam account. It doesn't cost them money anymore to get a new account.
haboh
June 24, 2011 at 5:33am
Don't quite see the point of this. Are there ANYONE with steam installed that don't yet own TF2?? Didn't it cost $1 or something on a sale? Can't imagine many that want to play it but don't yet own it.
DDRDiesel
June 24, 2011 at 6:04am
I don't have this game. Although admittedly, I don't really game on PC all that much. Nothing that interesting to me, all too buggy
Joji
June 24, 2011 at 8:56am
Some of my friends are pretty poor, probably poorer than you. They don't have the money to always buy games. :(
Hopefully that answered your question... though, those who bought TF2 (like me), will get premium service. ^^
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